By MARK HIGGINS
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

While some residents are distressed by how the plateau has changed, others are more philosophical about its new direction. "Change is inevitable. I'm sure it was beautiful and green. The fact is we are a growing planet and the Northwest is a growing place, for sure," says Barbara McBride, a Klahanie resident of five years.

McBride grew up in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood, where some of her family still live. Sometimes when she visits them, McBride says, she feels a twinge of nostalgia for her old neighborhood.

Yet, she says, "I have no desire to move back to the city.

"I enjoy living here. It would be hard to leave Klahanie for another area, even on the plateau. I'm spoiled by our pools, parks, and the school is right here."

McBride also likes the fact that Klahanie, which has more than 2,800 families, has round-the-clock private security.

Security Capt. Gary Garton says only four burglaries were reported last year, all minor incidents perpetrated by kids taking stuff from an open garage or entering a community building.

"The biggest problem we have is convincing people to lock their doors and their car. If they get too complacent, then we get silly problems," Garton says.

The association also has a number of rules regulating everything from satellite dish installation to how many days homeowners can leave a boat or recreational vehicle parked in their driveway. (The maximum is two days.)

Klahanie rules also state homeowners must water, fertilize and mow their lawns.

The community recently switched the color of its extensive boulevard fencing, which some critics refer to as "the stockade," from white to "pigeon." Residents were told they, too, would have to use the new paint scheme when repainting their fences.

Alan Finkelstein, association president, says he understands that not everyone loves Klahanie. But the fact that its homes typically sell within a day or two after going on the market says something about its desirability.

The average sales price is about $250,000, says Vickie Baldwin, the association's director.

"It's a suburban, safe, family environment, and the value of the homes are maintained. And you can get a brand-new home, and that is difficult to find in Seattle," Baldwin says.